


Traitor To The Mob

by Traw



Category: The Streets of San Francisco
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:16:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28545453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Traw/pseuds/Traw
Summary: The members of the Hendrix mob family live by a simple code- Once a loyal member of the family, always a loyal member of the family, and the only way out is in a pine box. Everyone in the family knows if one of their own decides to break that code, revenge would be swift and violent. And if a cop dares to get in the way... well, who really cares, after all it's just a cop...
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

Pressing the accelerator flat to the floor, Steve Keller urged the large car to a greater speed as he skilfully maneuvered it around the sharp curve, correcting the slide with a quick turn of the steering wheel as he glanced again in the rear vision mirror. Through dust that billowed in their wake, the SFPD Homicide inspector could see the other car as it also fishtailed around the corner, picking up speed as the driver regained control. Snatching up the radio, he quickly depressed the button, ignoring all protocol as he quickly spoke on the direct frequency to his partner, "Mike, it's Steve, I've got trouble!"

"Steve, what's happening? Where are you?" Mike's worried voice echoed through the car as Steve grabbed the steering wheel again with both hands, juggling the mic as he slid the car around another blind curve.

Pulling the mic back up to his lips, Steve shouted above the terrified shouts of his passenger and the revving of his engine as he tried to coax the car to even greater speeds. "Looks like Hendrix is onto the switch. I have three of his goons following us now!"

"Steve, where are you? Steve?" Mike's fear for his partner's safety was evident in his voice.

"I'm on the Brooks Creek Trail headed towards the safe house." Steve shouted into the mic as he jerked the wheel to the left, fishtailing wildly around another corner as the car threw up a billowing cloud of fine dust. He groaned in frustration, dropping the mic as he jerked the steering wheel back to the right, warning the other occupant of the car to duck as he caught the glimmer of a gun emerge through the other car's passenger window. He did not hear the crack of the gunshot over his roaring engine but knew immediately that the bullet had hit its mark as his rear tire exploded and sent them into a wild spin.

He heard the frightened shout of the man beside him as he fought to control the car but any hopes of pulling them safely out of the dangerous spin was lost as the other car slammed hard into them, sending them careening into the irrigation ditch that ran beside the road. His awareness was robbed from him in a crescendo of noise and an agonizing flash of white as his head slammed into the windscreen, cracking the glass. The last sounds he heard as the darkness claimed him was the sound of crushing metal, the breaking glass and Mike's frantic voice demanding to know what was happening.

Benny Lomikoku whimpered in terror as he opened his eyes and found himself trapped in the unmarked police car beside the bloodied and unmoving body of the Homicide inspector. He was uncertain if Stone's cop was dead but that was of little importance to him as he watched the doors of the other car open and the three men cautiously step out.

"No, no, no!" He whispered in fear as he turned in his seat and kicked open the crumbled door, ignoring the pain that tore through his arm and side as the door flew open and he threw himself outside. He heard shouts and the sound of running feet as he began to scramble backwards with his uninjured arm and feet, not wanting to take the time even to stand and run.

He froze when he felt the unmistakable sensation of a gun barrel pressed against his head and a gruff voice ask sarcastically, "You're not thinking of running, are you Benny?"

"Ahhh …no!" He answered fearfully as he stared up into the scarred face of his boss's top enforcer. "I…I was just trying to get out of the car in case it caught on fire."

Tony Garcia lifted his head back and laughed, startling the terrified man on the ground. "Just trying to get out of the car before it caught on fire." he mocked the frightened man as he reached down and pulled him roughly to his feet. "That answer leaves me wondering, why then are you in the cop's car? You aren't planning on ratting us out to the Feds, are you Benny? Cause let me warn you now, Mr. Hendrix isn't very happy about that rumor!"

Benny's eyes opened wide and he violently shook his head in denial. "No Tony, there ain't no way I would ever do that to Mr. Hendrix."

The broad Italian smiled and patted the smaller man's shoulder. "I'm glad to hear that Benny 'cause you really had Mr. Hendrix worried. But I guess that I can tell him that you are planning to keep your mouth shut."

Benny nodded eagerly, "I promise I won't say a word."

"Oh, I know you won't!" Tony grinned as he lifted his gun and pointed it at Benny, "Cause Benny, everyone knows dead men tell no tales." he laughed as he pulled the trigger. He watched as Benny's body flew backwards and slammed against the car before sliding down in a bloody heap on the ground before he turned and walked back around the wreck towards his own damaged car.

"What about the cop?" One of the other men asked, staring through the shattered window at the bloodied figure slumped against the steering wheel inside, grimacing at the smell of leaking gas the permeated the area.

Tony never bothered to glance back at the figure in the car as he continued to walk to his car. "Put Benny in the car and burn 'em both!"

The two other men nodded at the order and hurried across to Benny's limp body, grunting as they lifted his dead weight off the ground and pushed him unceremoniously back into the car, before slamming the damaged door closed. Stepping away from the car, one of them removed a box of matches from his pants pocket, smiling in delight as he struck the match and flicked it at the puddle of fuel that was collecting beneath the wrecked car. His smile morphed into a sadistic grin as he watched the match landed in the puddle and the liquid exploded into a small ball of fire.

He slapped his partner on the shoulder as they turned and hurried back to the car where Garcia waited. "I guess the menu for today is roasted pig and a side helping of rat!" he giggled, glancing back as the flames began to lick beneath the floor of the car. Through the dark smoke he could still see the motionless figures of the men trapped inside, "Roasted pig with a side serving of rat!" he laughed again at his own joke as he climbed into the driver's side of the car and started the engine, glancing for a last time at the burning wreck as he drove away from the scene.


	2. Chapter 2

"Steve, what's happening? …Steve, answer me!" Mike's desperate demands were met with an eerie silence and he glanced anxiously at Bill and Lee as he demanded again, "Steve come in!"

Frustrated and worried by the silence, Mike threw down the mic of the portable police radio that was sitting on his desk before he turned, grabbed his fedora hat and coat and headed for the door, shouting orders over his shoulder. "Bill, contact headquarters, I want a helicopter waiting for me and all available officers in the vicinity of the Brooks Creek Trail rolling. Tell them an officer needs assistance, get an ambulance responding as well. Also contact the Feds, tell them that the transfer was compromised and that a possible hit has been made enroute. And then join us at Brooks Creek Trail."

"Done, Mike." Bill responded, picking up the phone as he watched Mike and Lee run out of the bullpen.

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Lee had barely time to slide into the passenger side of Mike's car and slam the door closed before Mike revved the motor and sped out of the parking lot. Grabbing the dash with one hand to stop himself from sliding into Mike as the car took the corner at high speed, Lee grabbed the mic before requesting an ETA from the closest responding car, groaning in frustration as the officer confirmed that he was still at least fifteen minutes away.

Mike's hands tightened around the steering wheel and he pressed the accelerator a little harder as he swerved around a car that was a little slow moving out of the way of the flashing lights and siren. "Try Steve again!" he ordered through a tightened throat, "Tell him we are on our way!"

Lee nodded as he switched the radio channels across to the pre-arranged radio channel Steve and Mike had been using. Grabbing the dash again as the car took another sharp and violent turn into the airfield where their helicopter sat waiting, he glanced across at Mike as his radio call went unanswered as the car skidded and rocked to a sudden stop. Opening his door, he ran behind his lieutenant towards the open door of the helicopter, climbing into the machine and quickly sitting down next to Mike. He only had enough time to buckle himself in before he felt the helicopter rise in the air and tilt forward as they began to fly towards the dirt road located north of the city. He closed his eyes and prayed; fearful of what they might find when they arrived.

Grabbing the radio headphones and mic, Mike demanded to be patched through to the responding ground units, a moment later a unit responded informing the anxious Homicide lieutenant that he had not yet reached the scene, but he could see smoke rising from the approximate scene area. Mike's heart rose into his throat a few moments later when the officer announced that he had arrived at the scene and requested the fire department to attend a car fire.

Before he was able to demand details, Mike's heart froze with fear as the police officer's voice echoed in his ears also requesting the coroner. Hitting the button for the mic, Mike demanded a full report.

"We have a car that is fully involved in a fire, Sir," the young officer responded, swallowing the hot bile as he stared at the sight that was in front of him. "with one body inside. We are currently searching the surrounding area for any other victims."

"Keep looking," Mike managed to whisper the choked order as he stared at the terrain ahead, silently praying the burning body was not the body of his young partner and closest friend, the rising pillar of smoke that they were now approaching a clear indicator of how close they were to the scene. Staring out of the window as the helicopter banked forward in its descent allowing him a clear view of the dirt road beneath him, Mike could see the two police cars parked close by to the burning wreck as the four officers walked the perimeter of the scene searching for more victims.

The helicopter bounced and settled on the ground and he followed Lee out of the machine towards the waiting officer, running low until they were clear of the still swirling blades. "Any signs of survivors?" Mike yelled over the roar of the large helicopter engine still humming only a short distance away.

The officer shook his head. "No survivors that we can find, Sir," he yelled as he led the two Homicide officers towards the blackened body slumped in the now smoldering car. "And I can confirm there is just the one body in the car."

Mike frowned, "One body, are you sure?"

"Positive, Sir, just one body." the young officer answered as they neared the car, "Possibly the driver, no signs of a second victim in or around the vehicle."

"Keep looking." Mike ordered as he glanced around at the forest surrounding them, hoping that maybe Steve managed to escape and was lying somewhere in the undergrowth.

Reaching the remains of the unmarked police car Steve had been driving, Mike glanced across at Lee's pale face, seeing the fear and terror that was mirrored in his own before he knelt and looked back at blackened and almost unrecognizable smoking remains of what once was a man.


	3. Chapter 3

Staring out through the windshield, the older man sighed loudly as he stared at the smoking remains of the car and the almost unrecognizable shape of the body inside. He turned and watched Stone and one of his inspectors, whom he thought name was Ressling, Messling, no… he mentally corrected himself, the inspector's name was Lessing, near the car as several SFPD officers searched the surrounding area for the missing man.

Both FBI agents had been listening to the radio reports as they had raced to the scene and were fully aware that the blackened body could be the body of their witness but most likely both knew that the body most likely belonged to Stone's young partner, Keller. Hendrix did not like to leave behind any living witnesses, especially if the witness was a cop.

Lightly placing a hand on his partner's arm, Wilkinson stopped him before he got out of the car. He waited until he had the younger man's attention before he said quietly. "From now on, we're taking complete control of this case."

"Stone's not going to like it!" The younger agent murmured as he glanced at the two men next to the smouldering car, visually inspecting the body within.

Wilkinson snorted, "I don't give a damn what he likes or doesn't like! There was a leak and SFPD may have just lost us our major witness who could testify against Hendrix and until we know just who tipped Hendrix off about the transfer, we don't trust any of these cops! "

Glancing back at Stone, Neil Lennox nodded reluctantly as he looked back at his partner. "Okay, Tom." he sighed as he turned and got out of the car, waiting until his partner joined him before they began to walk towards the destroyed unmarked police car.

"We won't know who the body belongs to until the coroner does a full autopsy," Mike looked up as the two men joined them before he looked back at Lee and continued, "even then with the state of the body, he is probably going to have to make the ID with body's dental records to confirm identity. The body is just too badly burned."

"Oh, come on Stone, we both know whose body that is." Wilkinson growled as he overheard Mike's comment and nodded towards the car, "Hendrix was only interested in grabbing Lomikoku, your partner was just collateral damage who got in his way."

"Let's wait until the coroner does the autopsy and checks the dental records first before we decide whose body it is." Mike snapped at the FBI agent before he moved away.

"Mike."

Mike turned and hurried towards Charlie, who was kneeling, studying something in the dust.

"What have you got?" he asked as he reached the forensic scientist, trying his best to ignore the two FBI agents as they hurried across to stand at his side.

Rising to his feet, Charlie held out his arm to prevent Lennox from stepping on the evidence as he nodded towards the tire tracks in the fine dust. "The tire tracks of Keller's car and…" he turned and nodded down the road, "the tire tracks of the second car involved." He led Mike and the two FBI agents back down the dirt road a little as he pointed out the two very different sets of tire tracks.

Turning back towards the scene, he started to walk towards the shattered and charred remains of Steve's car as he began to explain what the tracks in the dirt told him. He pointed towards skid marks in the dirt. "It looks like Keller lost control of his car as he came around the bend, by the looks of the skid marks, his car went into an uncontrollable spin." Frowning, as they got closer to the car, Charlie stopped and pointed to the second set of tracks. "These tracks indicate that whoever was chasing him then deliberately rammed his car, pushing it into the ditch. Looking at the damage done to the remains of Keller's car, the second car broadsided him, slamming into the driver's side of the car, probably trapping him. "

Mike stared at the crumbled remains of the burnt out car, as he forced himself to listen to Charlie's hypothesis of what might have been Steve's final moments before he softly asked, "If he was hit broadside, then why did the car catch on fire?"

"It caught fire because of this." Charlie announced holding up a small clear plastic evidence bag that contained a single burnt match. "I found it on the ground near the car. The updraft when the car ignited probably blew the remains of the match away and it landed several feet away in the dirt."

Carefully taking the offered evidence, Mike stared at it in horror before he handed it across to Wilkinson as he returned his attention back to Charlie, "So the fire was deliberately lit?"

Charlie nodded solemnly. "The fuel tank was probably ruptured in the crash."

"And one spark from a match is all it would have taken to ignite the gas fumes." Mike breathed, nodding grimly as he stared at the jumble of footprints around the car.

"Whoever crashed into the car, probably decided to use the leaking fuel tank to their advantage. Anyone still in the car would have had only a couple of minutes to escape before the car went up in flames."

"So, it's possible that someone managed to escape?" Mike asked hopefully as he looked back up at Charlie, ignoring Wilkinson as the FBI agent snorted his disbelief.

Looking at the car before returning his attention back to the Homicide lieutenant, the forensic specialist nodded, "It's possible."

"But highly unlikely, Stone. It's more likely that Hendrix men rammed the car and grabbed Lomikoku, probably after incapacitating your partner, or, if your partner was really, really lucky, killing him first before setting the car alight. " Wilkinson interrupted before announcing loudly for all the other SFPD officers who were in earshot to hear, "I'm taking over this case, Stone, we both know FBI has jurisdiction especially when it's so evident that you and your partner couldn't even handle even a simple transfer of a federal witness to your own safe house."

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Biting back a moan of pain caused by his blistered hand, Paul Mannings huddled lower into the protective underbrush as he silently watched the cops examine the burnt remains of the car and the body still trapped inside, while other police officers searched the area around the scene. He turned his head as he heard the soft pain filled moan beside him and quickly placed his hand firmly over the injured man's mouth as he whispered fearfully, "Shh, they will hear us. You have to stay quiet." He held his hand over the other man's mouth until the man was silent.

Satisfied the injured man would not make any more noise that might give away their hiding place, he removed his hand from the man's face and looked back at the cops; ensuring that no one was looking towards their hiding place. Carefully grabbing the injured man under the arms, he began to carefully wriggle backwards, dragging the unconscious man along with him, until he had placed enough distance between them and the cops to make their escape unseen.


	4. Chapter 4

Slamming down the phone, Hendrix quickly stood up, causing the chair he was sitting in to slide back and slam into the wall. Stamping to the door, he yanked it open violently as he yelled for Garcia to get into his office- NOW! He returned to his desk and pulled the chair back into place before he sat down and awaited the man's arrival.

He silently watched as the tall smarmy looking Italian cockily entered the room and sat down on the edge of the ornate wooden desk and asked, "What's the matter, Boss?"

"You told me that you completed the job this morning – that Lomikoku and that pig, Keller, was dead!" Hendrix said softly, watching the other man's face carefully.

"They are!" Garcia hotly announced, not liking his boss's veiled accusation that he had not completed the job. "I shot Lomikoku in the chest myself before I had the boys put him back in the car, that's when I set the car on fire and roasted him and the pig. Ain't no way that either of them survived! The cop was trapped nice and tight."

"Well, either you and the boys messed up, or one of them has a guardian angel on their shoulder, 'cause Stone and Feds only found one body in the car." Hendrix hissed.

The Italian's eyes opened wide in disbelief and shock as he whispered, "No, they couldn't have. There shoulda been two bodies not one! The car was well alight when we left!"

"Are you calling me a liar?" Hendrix growled dangerously as he leaned closer to the shocked man sitting on his desk.

Garcia jumped at the barely audible whisper and quickly stood up as he quickly tried to reassure his boss, "Ah, no Boss… that's not what I meant … honest…I just meant that I can't believe that one of them managed to have gotten out of the car. I'm sure that Lomikoku was dead and I know that the cop was unconscious and trapped real good when we set the car on fire- I just can't understand how one of them managed to get out."

Hendrix waved away the excuses, silencing the larger man instantly as he straightened in his chair and glared at his henchman. "I don't care about the reasons how," he yelled as he slammed his hand on the desk making Garcia jump, "what I do care about is how you intend to take care of this problem!"

"I will take care of it, Boss." Garcia promised as he began to back out of the room, terrified that his boss would decide to take 'care' of him if he failed the job again. "I promise I will find him and he will be dead within the hour. He couldn't have got away too far."

"He better be!" Hendrix growled threateningly as he watched Garcia turn and rush from the room.

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Erin turned away from the wood burning stove where she was preparing lunch and looked in surprise as her husband stumbled through the front door of their small, isolated cabin carrying an injured man. "Paul?" she asked as she hurried across the small living room and stared in shock at the young man in her husband's arms.

"He's hurt, help me get him on to the bed." Paul ordered her softly as he staggered under the man's weight as he headed towards their bed in the corner of the room.

"Paul, what happened? Who is he?" Erin whispered, terrified, as she quickly slammed the door closed behind her husband before she hurried around her husband and pulled back the blankets on the bed.

"He's a cop." Paul answered softly as he lowered the man gently onto the bed, wincing as his own burned hand became momentarily wedged between the injured man and the bed.

"A cop? Are you sure?"

Paul nodded as he quickly pulled his injured hand free, ignoring his own pain as he quickly checked the bruised and bloody gash along the side of the young man's face which disappeared into his hairline from where his head must have hit against the door frame after his car was rammed. Carefully he began to remove the man's coat and shirt, grimacing as he found himself staring at the angry red, blistered skin that covered the unconscious officer's right shoulder and arm and the dark bruises across his chest, probably caused by impacting the steering wheel when they had crashed.

"Ohh dear God, Paul, what have you got us involved in?" Erin gasped softly as she looked over her husband's shoulder.

"It was one of Hendrix's goons." he answered distractedly as he quickly moved down to the end of the bed and removed Steve's shoes and socks.

"Hendrix's goons?" Erin moaned as she reached for Paul's shoulder and forced him to turn around and look at her as she whispered fearfully. "What were they doing around here? You promised me that we would be safe here until Hendrix stopped looking for you and we could get away from him, from here, from everything you dragged us into. You promised me!"

"We are safe here, I promise you, Erin," Paul softly tried to reassure her as he reached up with his uninjured hand and lightly cupped the side of her face, ensuring he had her complete attention as he softly continued. "and if we keep our heads down, we will stay safe until we can get away, I promise."

"But what was Hendrix man doing all the way out here on the trail? And what happened to him?" she demanded almost hysterically as she nodded towards the injured man on the bed.

"Get some sharp scissors, clean sheets, towels, anything we can use for bandages and some warm water while I check how badly he's hurt," Paul ordered his wife gently, "We need to make him a little more comfortable and bandage his burns and I promise that I will tell you everything."

Silently nodding her head, Erin turned and opened the small bag where she kept her knitting and sewing projects and removed the sharp pair of scissors and handed them across to Paul before hurrying across to the small sink. After filling a container with water, she looked around searching for anything she could tear up to use as bandages.

Turning back to the man he had just rescued, Paul bit his bottom lip and tried to ignore the pain from his own burns as he gently cut up both leg seams of the man's pants, before placing the scissors down on the bedside table. Turning back to the young cop on the bed, he pushed the cut pants’ material aside exposing the dark bruises that were beginning to mar the young man's thighs from where he had been trapped beneath the dash. Although he could not be certain, he didn’t think that the young man's legs were not broken, although badly bruised there was no swelling or deformities to indicate any more damage. Quickly reaching across to grab the light sheet, he quickly covered the young man up to the waist as Erin returned to the side of the bed, carefully balancing the bowl of water and a clean bed sheet.

Placing the bowl of water down on the bedside table, she handed Paul the wet facecloth to wipe down Steve as she picked up the sheet and began to rip it into strips. "So, are you sure Hendrix doesn't know we're here?" she asked timidly.

"No, I don't think he does." Paul answered as he carefully began to wipe the blood away from the ragged cut on Steve's face. "As far as he probably knows, this police officer and Lomikoku both died in the car after Garcia set it on fire or they managed to get out, only to die from their injuries somewhere in the underbrush later."

"Lomikoku? Car fire?" Erin asked in confusion as she helped Paul sit the unconscious officer up and began to bandage his chest arm and shoulders with the bandages she had made as she glanced across at her husband and asked, "Is that how you burned your hand?"

Paul looked at his own blistered hand and nodded, "I heard gunfire coming from towards the road before I heard a car crash when I was out looking for some firewood. So, I went to check out what was happening." He swallowed hard as he remembered hiding in the underbrush watching the drama in front of him unfolding. "That's when I saw his car had been broad sided and Lomikoko scramble from the other side of the car as Garcia walked towards them. I heard Garcia ask Lomikoko if he was turning state's evidence." Paul nodded at Steve, "That's when I realized that he was a cop, probably trying to get Lomikoko somewhere safe out of Hendrix reach.

Hendrix must have been tipped off 'cause Garcia shot Lomikoko in the chest and put him back into the car next to him. He must have been unconscious because he didn't move. Then Garcia set the car on fire and left." Swallowing hard as Erin finished bandaging the cop's burns and chest, Paul eased Steve back against the pillows as he continued. "The car was on fire and he was trapped tight. What else could I do, Er? I just couldn't let him burn to death."

"No, of course not." Erin quickly agreed, glancing down at the injured man in their bed.

"I heard the sirens and an approaching helicopter as I managed to get him out and I guess I panicked, we both know that Hendrix have cops on the take, so I hid with him in the underbrush and waited and watched." Rising from the bed, Paul walked across to the window and looked outside before he turned back to his wife and whispered, "That's when I saw him, him and his partner, yelling orders and telling the local cops that they were taking over the case as they strutted around the car like they owned the place. He must have tipped off Hendrix that the cop had Lomikoko… I knew if I left him somewhere where the other cops could find him, the chances were against him of making it to the hospital alive. We both know Hendrix doesn't like leaving anyone who could testify against him, including cops, alive."

"Are you sure it was him?" Erin paused as she looked up at Paul with wide eyes.

"Of course, I'm sure, I made enough payoffs to him for Hendrix." Paul whispered; his own fear evident on his face as he turned back to her. "Look sweetheart, I promise that he will only be here until I can work out a way to get him to safety. I just couldn't leave him there to be killed."

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Parking the car in his usual parking spot, Mike swallowed hard, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall, as he turned off the engine and stared out through the windshield at the police station. As much as he tried to keep the faith that Steve had been the one who had escaped the burning car, the reality that the body that had been found was probably Steve's body and not Lomikoko's washed over him like a tsunami.

Initially he had silently prayed that Steve had somehow managed to escape from the burning car and would be found hiding or lying injured in the underbrush near the scene but an extensive search of the area had quickly dashed his hopes.

As much as he disliked Wilkinson, he found himself silently admitting to himself that the FBI agent was probably right. The fact that only one body was found at the scene indicated that one person had escaped or had been taken away before the car had been set on fire. And the chances of that person being Steve and not Lomikoko were extremely slim.

Lomikoko would be the only person Hendrix would have any interest in to keep alive just long enough to know what he had planned to tell the Feds. Deep down, Mike knew that Hendrix would have no use for his young partner, nor would he want any witnesses left alive.

Taking a deep breath, Mike wiped away the moisture from his face before he opened the door with a shaking hand and climbed out of the car. Slamming the door closed behind him, he forced himself to head down to the basement where the Medical Examiner's office and city morgue were located where he feared his worst fears were about to be confirmed.


	5. Chapter 5

Turning to place the needle and thread he held in his hand back onto the tray, Bernie paused as the worried Homicide lieutenant entered his Autopsy room. "Be with you in a sec, Mike, I'm just finishing up here," he told the officer quietly as he turned back to his 'patient' on the table and gently covered him up with a sheet. Nodding at his assistants to tell them that he had finished with the body, he reached up and removed his surgical hat before tugging the face mask he wore free as he turned back to Mike.

"Bernie?" Mike asked hesitantly as he watched the two morgue assistants gently lift the charred, sheet covered body onto the trolley to return it back to the fridge. He swallowed hard as his eyes drifted to the body, "Is that…?"

"If you want to know if this is the body from the car, it is, Mike," Bernie began, shrugging out of his blue surgical gown as he looked across at Mike and smiled, "but if you want to know if the body is Steve's, it's not."

"Are you sure?" Mike breathed with relief as he watched Bernie cross the room and wash his hands.

"Positive," the coroner smiled as he wiped his hand dry and turned back to the homicide lieutenant, "I found several inconsistencies with the body and what I know of Steve's medical history and the dental check confirmed it."

"Thank God." Mike breathed.

"But I am still waiting for dental records, so I can officially identify the body as Lomikoku." Bernie continued as he walked back to his desk and finished filling in the details of the autopsy he had just completed as he continued to talk. "But what I can confirm is that cause of death was not from the fire. There was no internal burning or soot in his nose, throat or lungs."

"So, he was killed when the car was rammed," Mike frowned as he glanced back at the closed refrigerated drawer where Lomikoko's body now laid, "That doesn't make sense, most of the damage to the car was on driver's side, I wouldn't have thought…."

"The crash was not the cause of death either," Bernie interrupted Mike distractedly as he scribbled his name to the bottom of his report before straightening up and handing it to Mike. "Cause of death was from a gunshot wound to the chest. Death would have been instantaneous. The wound would have been hard to spot at the scene because of all the damage to the body from the fire. The bullet passed through was his heart and exited his through his back. By the size of the entry and exit wounds and the damage done to the heart and left lung, I would hazard a guess and say he was shot by a .38 caliber bullet."

Mike's frown deepened, "Was he shot while he trapped in the car?"

Bernie shook his head, "I don't think so Mike. By the trajectory of the bullet wound, it appears he was shot by someone standing directly over him. The bullet trajectory is at a downward angle. No way the trajectory angle would be so steep if he were shot sitting in the car."

"So, he managed to get out of the car before he was shot."

"And then the body was placed back into the car before it was set on fire." Bernie nodded his agreement.

"But you're certain the body's not Steve's?" Mike asked again, aware that Bernie would not make that kind of mistake, but still needing that small reassurance before he allowed the small spark of hope he had held onto that there was still a chance that somewhere out there Steve was alive to grow into a flame. Slapping Bernie lightly on the shoulder, Mike smiled for the first time since he had heard Steve's desperate call. "Thanks, Bernie." he called over his shoulder as he turned and hurried out of the morgue, clutching the autopsy report in his hand.

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Bill looked up from the report he was typing as the door opened and Mike entered. Rising quickly from his desk, he hurried across to meet Mike halfway across the room. Looking down at the folder in Mike's hand, he asked cautiously, "Is that the autopsy results?"

"The body hasn't been formally identified yet," Mike began before he allowed a small smile of relief tug at his lips as he added, "but Bernie was able to confirm it's not Steve."

"Thank God!" Bill breathed, "So that means there's a chance Steve is still alive."

Mike nodded, "And we have to find him. I want you to grab a couple of uniformed guys and go back to the scene, search anywhere where Steve might have taken shelter to hide if he was hurt and that includes any empty houses, sheds or cabins within a two-mile radius. Also, radio Lee, I want him to sit on Hendrix. I want to know where he goes and who he sees."

"On it, Mike." Bill answered as he turned around to grab his jacket from the back of his chair, pausing a moment as Mike headed towards his office. "Oh Mike, I almost forgot, Rudy wants you to join in him his office. Wilkinson, Lennox and FBI Director, Agent Shaw are already there, waiting for you. It looks like Wilkinson's trying to make good his threat at the scene and trying to take jurisdiction over the case."

"We'll see about that!" Mike growled as he turned and hurried back out of the bullpen.

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Turning the car onto the rough, little used, little known track that led into the thick undergrowth less than a mile from the scorched earth that was all that remained of their earlier grizzly crime, Tony Garcia turned off the engine before he swivelled around in his seat to look at the other man in the car. "That pig we left to fry with that snitch Lomikoku somehow managed to get away and the boss says if we want to see the sun set tonight then we bettah find him. So, you know what to do."

The other man nodded as he pulled out his gun and checked it was loaded before he tucked it into his belt again as he looked across at his boss. "What if he has help?"

"Smoke 'em." Tony answered succinctly as he checked his own weapon before climbing out of the car and started to walk into the forest in the direction where he had last seen the cop as he said over his shoulder. "Ya know the boss's rules, leave no squealers behind to testify."


	6. Chapter 6

Knocking on Rudy's closed office door, Mike opened the door and entered. "I understand that you wanted to see me, Captain." He said softly, glancing at the three men sitting at Rudy's desk.

"Yes Mike, please come in. You already know FBI Director Shaw, don't you?"

Mike nodded, instantly recognizing the other man from the initial meeting he and Steve had had with the FBI agents when Lomikoku had requested a deal to turn State's evidence against Hendrix in exchange for immunity if he testified in the Pauling 's robbery and murder case. Lomikoku had claimed he was just the driver and had not been involved in the actual robbery or shooting. He was terrified about going to jail, aware that Hendrix had placed a price on his head after he had had a falling out with the mob boss.

"We were just discussing the hit on Steve and Lomikoku." Rudy told him, looking at the folder Mike held in his hand before asking, "Is that the results of the autopsy?"

Mike nodded as he handed the manila folder to Rudy to peruse. Stepping back behind the three FBI agents, he settled himself against the small side table as he began. "The body has not yet been officially identified, Bernie is still waiting for Lomikoku's dental records but he has been able to rule out that the body is Steve's."

"So, it's Lomikoku's?" Lennox frowned, glancing at his partner before returning his attention back to Mike.

"Looks like it. Only whoever it is, Bernie confirmed they didn't die in the crash or the fire. They took a round in the chest and by the trajectory of the bullet, they were outside the car when they were shot."

"So, Lieutenant, you and your inspectors just handed our federal witness on a platter to Hendrix and got him killed." Wilkinson growled.

"Agent Wilkinson," the FBI director cut in, scowling at his lead agent, "do I have to remind you that this is a Homicide investigation, it was never an FBI operation. Benny Lomikoku was in the San Francisco Police's protective custody as a witness to a murder, he was never officially in our custody."

Wilkinson snorted his disgust as he turned and snarled at Mike over his shoulder, "And they screwed it up." Turning back to face his boss, Wilkinson continued his rant, "Hell, Stone couldn't even protect his own partner during a simple transfer to their own safe house. He managed to get Lomikoku killed and allowed Hendrix's men to grab his own partner to probably try and find out what Lomikoku has told us before they kill him as well."

"You seem to forget that we were only invited to assist them in their investigation as a courtesy and we agreed that the SFPD had first dips on Lomikoku and we would take him into our custody as a federal witness when the trial was over not before." The director told his two agents, glancing behind them at Mike who was bristling in anger but holding his tongue. Returning his attention back to his agents he captured Anderson in a pointed stare as he growled in annoyance. "So unless I became old and senile in the last four hours, which I certainly do not believe that I have, I certainly do not remember giving anyone the order to step in and take jurisdiction over this case! This was and still is a San Francisco P.D. Homicide case and Lieutenant Stone was and still is the lead investigator on this case. And you are only here to assist him in the investigation. Is that clearly understood?"

"Yes, Sir." Lennox's head bobbed up and down on his shoulders, reminding his director of one of those bobbing, novelty toys he had seen in the toy shops.

"Wilkinson?" the FBI director glared at his lead agent.

"Understood." The agent muttered, his anger at being relegated to just a glorified assistant to a San Francisco cop who had just cost him his best shot at bringing down and getting made an assistant director was palpable to the other two men in the room as he returned the glare to his boss and demanded, "Is that all, _Sir_?"

Sighing at his agent's insolent attitude but deciding to deal with it later when they were alone, Shaw nodded, "That's all."

Rising from his chair, Wilkinson turned and marched out of the room.

Lennox stood up, blushing slightly at his partner's rude behavior before he stuttered a soft apology for his partner and the excuse that Wilkerson was just upset over the loss of a good cop and their witness before nervously mumbling he should also go.

Nodding his dismissal, Shaw watched as Lennox practically ran out of the office after his partner before he turned back to Rudy and Mike and apologized, "Sorry about that. Wilkinson can sometimes get… umm… a little enthusiastic … when he is on a case but he's one of my best agents. He's been working on trying to build a solid case against Hendrix for the last six months, but Hendrix is like Teflon, everything we toss at him slides right off. Lomikoku's testimony would have been our best chance of bringing him down but now with Lomikoku dead…".

"You'll still have Steve's testimony about the hit on Lomikoku and himself when we find him." Mike reminded him.

"If he's still alive." The FBI director sighed as he looked across at the Homicide lieutenant and added quietly, "But I have to agree with Wilkinson, the only reason why Hendrix men would have taken him is to find out what Lomikoku has told you and us about Hendrix operations. After he gets that information from your partner, I'm afraid there will be no reason why he would let Keller live. Hendrix is careful, he's not going to leave any potential witnesses around who could testify against him, especially a cop."

"Then we are just going to have to find Steve before that happens." Mike answered firmly as he turned to Rudy and asked, "Is that all?"

Rudy nodded in a silent dismissal as he handed Mike back the report before watching him leave. He waited until the door closed behind Mike before he returned his attention back to the FBI director and asked, "What do you think the chances are if Hendrix did grab him, that Keller's still alive, Max?"

Staring at the closed door, Shaw shook his head, "Small, Rudy and getting smaller with each minute that passes."

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Running to catch up with his partner as Anderson reached the stairs, Lennox frowned as he glanced over his shoulder towards the office from which they had just emerged before he looked back at his partner and asked breathlessly, "Looks like Stone is still in charge of the case."

Anderson just grunted his disgust at their orders to assist the homicide lieutenant with the case as he jogged down the stairs.

"So, what are we going to do, Tom? We going to co-operate or what?" Lennox asked, "I mean, we have worked on this case for six months and now as you said not only did Stone get Lomikoku killed, we have to co-operate with him while he takes over our case."

Anderson paused and turned towards his younger partner as he growled, "What are we going to do? We are going to look for Keller. If there's the slightest chance that he's still alive out there, somewhere, I want to get to him first before Stone does. That's what we are going to do."


	7. Chapter 7

Climbing out of the LTD, Bill turned and waited as the patrol car pulled up behind him before the two officers climbed out and joined him. Looking around at the thick forest and underbrush that grew right up to the edge of the scorched, dirt road, Bill sighed, aware the task in front of them was possibly going to end up fruitless. If Steve was lying injured and unable to call for help somewhere in the underbrush, the chances of finding him were extremely slim. There was a very real possibility that they could walk right past him and never even see him. Turning back to the two officers who were silently waiting for orders, he began, "We know it was not Inspector Keller's body that was found in the car, so there is a possibility that he may have been grabbed and taken away from the scene. But there is also the possibility that he managed to get out of the car and headed into the underbrush to hide from his attackers and that he now may be lying somewhere in the undergrowth injured or unable to call out for help. Lieutenant Stone wants us to search the surrounding area in case Steve is lying somewhere in the underbrush. Remember he could be lying anywhere so search under every fern, in any crevice, behind any fallen log where he could be."

The two officers looked at the thick forest that surrounded them, glancing at each other before looking back at Bill and nodding.

"Ok, let's get started," Bill ordered as he stepped into the undergrowth and began to call Steve's name as he pushed aside ferns and looked beneath them as the two other officers spread out on each side of him and did the same.

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Moving carefully through the thick undergrowth, Damien sighed, ignoring the shouts of 'Steve!' 'Steve, can you hear me?' somewhere closer to where they had left the cop to roast in the car. He was not surprised that the cops were out here also searching for the missing pig who had somehow managed to escape from the car. He shook his head in frustration, the cop could be lying only a few feet away under the ferns and he could walk right past him and never know. He paused a moment and looked around, frowning, before a small smile crept across his face, or maybe the cop was not lying injured in the undergrowth at all, maybe, just maybe the cop had managed to find himself somewhere to shelter…

The smile slowly morphed into a hopeful grin as he slowly turned towards the small cabin that he, himself, had hidden out in several years ago when he was on the run. A small hidden hideaway that he had not even told Garcia about. The cabin had once been owned by some old recluse but a single, well aimed bullet to the back of the recluse's head while he begged to be allowed to live had made the cabin vacant and the perfect place to hide. Clutching his gun tightly, he headed west, moving swiftly and confidently through the forest towards the small cabin as he left the voices of the cops searching the undergrowth behind him. If he could find the cop before Garcia did, maybe Hendrix would finally make him a made man.

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Sitting next to the window, Paul watched the thick forest that surrounded them, searching for any movement. A soft moan from the injured man in the bed caught his attention and he turned away to watch Erin as she whispered something to the young officer and she gently wiped his face with a damp cloth, cleaning it off the grime and soot. The police officer had not yet fully regained consciousness but if the pain from his own burned hand was any indication, Paul knew that once the officer did regain consciousness, he was going to be in agony.

Picking up the police .38 special that he had removed from the officer's holster, he checked it was fully loaded before he placed it down on the table beside him before he picked up the leather wallet containing the injured cop's ID. Flicking it open, he glanced at the gold and blue Inspector's star before he studied the ID card.

Keller, Stephen D.

Rank - Inspector

Badge number -2248

He glanced again at the injured man on the bed and shook his head. He wasn't sure why Lomikoku was with the cop but whatever the reason was it had gotten him hit. And by now Hendrix would know that Inspector Stephen D. Keller had managed to escape and there was one thing Paul knew by experience, Hendrix would not stop looking for him until he knew he was dead. The mob boss did not leave witnesses alive.

Slowly closing the ID wallet, he turned and faced the window, chewing nervously on his bottom lip. Maybe Erin was right, maybe it was a mistake to bring him here but deep down he knew he could not just walk away and leave him to burn to death in that car, no matter how much more danger rescuing him now placed them in. They would just have to be extra careful until he could work out just what to do.

He froze when he saw a figure in the undergrowth moving slowly towards the house. Grabbing the .38 special from off the table he quickly moved to the side of the closed door, the gun ready to use as he hissed a soft warning to Erin to get down on the floor and hide.

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Nearing the edge of the small clearing that surrounded the cabin, Damien stopped and frowned, a small thin trail of smoke was coming out of the chimney and a familiar beaten up and dinted old blue Chevy was parked close to the front door. Holding his gun tighter, he contemplated going back and finding Garcia but quickly shook his head. If the cop was hiding here and he was the one who managed to shut the cop and anyone who was protecting him up permanently, the boss would have to make him, maybe even promote him to enforcer or hitman. Quickly looking around to satisfy himself that no one was around or had seen him from the cabin, he crouched low and ran across to the closed cabin door.

Quickly moving to the small window, he glanced inside, silently congratulating himself that his hunch was right when he saw the injured cop lying on the bed. Scanning the small room as best as he could through the small window, he was unable to see anyone else except for the cop inside. Moving back to the door, he reached for the handle and turned it before pushing the door open and stepping inside, his gun aimed squarely at the man on the bed. He never heard the gunshot or Erin's frightened scream as Paul pulled the trigger and shot him in the back, killing him instantly.

Lowering the gun, he held in his hand, Paul quickly moved forward and kicked the gun out of the gunman's hand before leaning down and feeling for a pulse. Looking up at his terrified wife he shook his head as he quickly rose to his feet and stepped across to pick up the second gun, tucking both guns into his pants belt as he nodded towards Steve and softly ordered, "Help me get him up and out to the car. We have to get out of here before anyone comes to investigate the gunshot."

"But you said we were safe here, that no one would find us." Erin cried, still shaking as she wrapped her arms around herself and looked down at the motionless body on the floor before she looked back up and stared wide eyed at her husband. "You said that we were…"

"I was wrong!" Paul yelled before he lowered his voice and repeated, "I was wrong and I am so sorry that I got us into this mess but please, can we talk about this later. We need to get him out to the car and get away from here before anyone comes."

Wiping her eyes, Erin nodded reluctantly before she crossed to the side of the bed and helped Paul lifted Steve up off the bed. Turning she ran outside and opened the car's rear passenger door, climbing inside so she could help slide the injured man inside and allow his head to rest on her lap. She watched Paul slam the door closed and hurry around to the driver's door and climb in before she whispered, "Where are we going to go now?"

"Out of here," Paul answered as he started the car and hit the accelerator, causing a shower of stones and dust to fly up into the air behind them as the tires spun and then caught traction and he sped along the narrow dirt track away from the cabin.

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Skidding to a stop as he reached the edge of the clearing from where he had heard the gunshot, Garcia crouched down in the underbrush as he heard the approaching excited shouts of the three police officers, he had spotted searching the same area that he and Damien had been searching, probably searching for the same man they were searching for. Looking through the screen of ferns he was hidden behind, he saw a familiar couple hurry out of the cabin. He frowned as he pushed several ferns out of the way to get a closer look and gasped in surprise. Hendrix had been told that the hit on Paul Mannings and his wife had been successful and had paid the hitman he had sent out to carry out the hit in full. The man who could bring down everything the Hendrix and the Fed had built up over the last few years and whom everyone had thought had been killed over six months ago was now carrying the cop whom everyone was searching for in his arms. Mannings' wife climbed into the back of his car and helped pull the cop inside before Mannings slammed the door shut and ran around to the driver's side.

Rising to his feet with his gun ready to use, Garcia was about to step out and stop Mannings escape when he saw the three cops step out from the underbrush on the other side of the clearing with their own guns drawn just as Mannings jumped into the car and sped away in a cloud of dust. Ducking back down, the hitman watched the three officers slowly approach the open door of the cabin where he could see the body of his partner lying on the floor just inside. Quickly crawling backwards, Garcia kept his eye on the cops until he was confident that he was far enough not to be seen before he rose to his feet and hurried back towards his car.


	8. Chapter 8

Stepping out of the cabin, Bill silently watched as Mike's brown Ford Galaxie rocked to a stop behind the SFPD patrol cars parked haphazardly outside the small cabin and Mike quickly climbed out. Walking across to the edge of the small roughly built deck, he waited as Mike hurried across.

"What happened?" Mike asked anxiously as he joined Bill and looked around.

"We heard a gunshot while we were searching and when we came to investigate, we saw a man jump into an old blue Chevy and peel out of here like the devil was after him. Looked like there was a woman in the back and we did manage to get a partial on the plates. Have an ABP out on the car now." Bill began as he led the Homicide lieutenant inside, stepping over the sheet that was draped over the dead body on the floor. Nodding at the sheet covered body, Bill quickly reassured Mike, "That's Damian Lennings."

"Lennings?" Mike frowned as he knelt and pulled back the blood-stained sheet a little, studying the dead's man's face before he looked up at Bill in alarm as he remembered why the name sounded so familiar, "One of Hendrix's men?"

Bill nodded as Mike dropped the sheet back over the body and stood up, "One of Hendrix's muscleman, but word on the street is he was itching to be made a made-man. Looks like he was shot in the back after he entered the cabin."

"Maybe he was looking for someone?" Mike said slowly as he stared at the bed in the corner of the room. The sheets appeared to have been tossed back by someone in a hurry and the pile of familiar looking clothes piled on the floor beside it.

"And I think we both know who." Bill answered quietly as he nodded towards the table near the window.

Turning, Mike found himself staring, white-faced, at a familiar gold badge and ID that was left, forgotten, on the table. "Steve's…"

Bill nodded as he watched Mike turn and walked slowly towards the bed.

Kneeling, Mike silently pulled out his pen and carefully moved the damaged clothing around, swallowing hard as he saw the bloodied and burnt material.

"Looks like whoever was in this cabin probably heard the gunshots from the road when Steve and Lomikoku when they were ambushed. Probably went to investigate and found Steve injured after he managed to get out of the car and then brought Steve back here, hoping to help him." Bill theorized as he stared at the burnt clothing and the torn strips of a sheet that were draped over the bedside table before he looked around. "No phone, so they probably couldn't call for help." Looking back at Mike, Bill frowned, "But they had a car, so why didn't they take Steve somewhere where he could receive help? Why did they try and treat him here by themselves?"

"The cabin's pretty run down and isolated." Mike answered as he stood back up and looked around the one-roomed cabin. "Maybe whoever was here was hiding, themselves. Maybe they didn't want to draw the unwanted attention that finding Steve would bring." Turning back to Bill, he asked, "Any idea who was living here?"

"Not yet." Bill shook his head as he tilted his head in the direction of a suitcase in the corner of the room. "There's men's and women's clothing the suitcase and two toothbrushes in a cup next to the sink but nothing else around to identify who is living here.

Mike nodded as he looked back at the sheet covered body before he looked worriedly back at his young partner's burned and bloody clothes. "Find out fast because we need to find both Steve and our good Samaritans fast before Hendrix does."

SOSF SOSF SOSF

"You said Hendrix would never find us." Erin whimpered, looking down at Steve in her lap as he began to moan softly in her lap as the car hit several large potholes before she looked back up at the rear vision mirror.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think he would." Paul answered softly as he glanced in the mirror to look at his terrified wife in the back seat before he asked gently, "But what was I supposed to do, Erin? Leave him in the car to burn to death? Or let Hendrix goon murder him in cold blood in the cabin?"

"But what are we going to do? Where are we going to go?" Erin asked again as she quickly glanced out the back window, terrified that she would see someone following them before she turned and stared wide-eyed at the rear vision mirror at her husband's reflection.

"I don't know yet. Let's just get as far away from here as we can, first and we can work out the what and where later." Paul answered a little more harshly than he meant to, wincing as his burnt hand slammed against the steering wheel. Drawing a shuddering breath, as he tried to blink away the dark spots that had suddenly appeared in his vision, he looked back in the mirror at the large frightened eyes of his wife as he tried to reassure her, "I promise I will find us a hotel where we can hide out for a day or so, where no one can find us. Somewhere far away from here, where we can rest and where I can treat his burns. Somewhere safe where nobody, not Hendrix, his goons or any of the cops and Feds on his payroll are going to find us. I promise you that I will find us somewhere safe where we can work out what we are going to do next."

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Quickly sliding into the driver's seat of his car, Garcia watched, through the undergrowth surrounding his own vehicle, the only too familiar, old blue Chevy fishtail its way past on the dirt track just a few feet away, leaving a cloud of dust billowing behind it. Starting the engine of his own car, Garcia smiled, he had feared that the little worm and his cop buddy would manage to get away before he made it back to his car but thankfully the rough little used track that snaked its way past, back to the cabin had slowed Mannings escape down just long enough to all him to make it back to the car. Forcing himself to wait just long enough for Mannings to get just far enough ahead to think that he was not being tailed, but staying just close enough to follow, Garcia slowly eased his car out of its hiding place and turned left as he began to stalk his prey.


	9. Chapter 9

Climbing out of the car, Neil Lennox glanced at his partner as Wilkinson climbed out of the car and stood for a moment, watching the activity of the SFPD officers and forensic lab guys around them before the lead agent looked towards the cabin and the sheet covered body that was still lying in the doorway. The grim annoyed scowl on his partner's face warned the younger agent that the best course of action for himself while his partner was in this mood was simple, keep his mouth shut, his opinions and thoughts to himself and do as his partner told him. Taking a deep breath before he nervously adjusted his tie and smoothed down his suit, he silently followed Wilkinson across to the cabin's deck where Stone was talking to a SFPD officer.

Shouldering his way past the two SFPD officers, Wilkinson crossed the deck to the sheet covered body and kneeling onto one knee, grabbed the edge of the sheet and lifted it back to look at the dead face beneath.

"Lennings," he grunted in disgust as he looked up at his partner, who was peering over his shoulder at the body, before he turned back and dropped the sheet in place and rose to his feet as his eyes roamed over the room.

He paused as he noticed the clear plastic evidence bag that contained the bloodied and burned remains of the clothing that he had seen Stone's partner wearing earlier in the day. Aware the Stone had dismissed the officer before following him into the cabin, he continued to ignore the older man as he walked across and picked up the bag of clothing and studied the contents within before he tossed it back onto the bed.

Turning, he found himself looking at a second, much smaller, evidence bag containing what he immediately recognized as a police officer's ID and badge sitting on the table. He cast a quick covert glance in Stone's direction, unsurprised Stone and the other SFPD officers were silently watching his every move as he crossed the room and picked up the bag. Turning the bag over in his hand, he glanced across at Stone as he handed the bag across to his partner. "Well, Stone, it looks like you were right. Looks like your partner did managed to get away," he stated before he nodded towards the body on the floor, "But by the looks of it, he didn't get away unseen. But he did find someone who was willing to help him, for whatever reasons was even willing to kill to protect him. And that means we have a second material witness out there who, with the testimony of your partner, can help link Hendrix to the hit on Lomikoku to stop him from testifying and the attempted murder of your partner."

Drawing a deep breath, Wilkinson capitulated, "Look Stone, maybe I do owe you an apology, maybe I have overstepped my jurisdiction, but I want to find your partner just as much as you do. Maybe Shaw is right, maybe we do need to co-operate to do that, so let's start over. Our resources at the FBI are far greater than the resources you have to work, together let's bring down this scumbag before he can find your partner and whoever is helping him and silence them both forever."

Aware that the officers in the cabin had stopped what they were doing and were now watching the two of them closely, Mike nodded.

"Okay," Wilkinson said as he turned and took back the evidence bag his surprised partner still held and placed it back onto the table before he looked back at Mike and asked, "so what have we got?"

SOSF SOSF SOSF

"Shhh," Erin murmured distractedly, looking down at Steve as he moaned and shifted in pain on her lap before she looked back up and looked out the window at the door to the hotel's office. "Come on Paul, what's taking so long?" she whispered, quickly glancing around, reassuring herself that the car park was empty before she anxiously looked back that the office door. "Thank God," she murmured as the door opened a moment later and Paul stepped outside, quickly looking around him before he hurried across to the car. "How did it go?" she asked as Paul opened the car door and climbed inside.

"No problems, he accepted the cash without asking any questions," he told her quietly as he handed her the room key before he gently grabbed Steve under the arms and began to sit him up, wincing in sympathy as Steve cried out in pain. "Now help me get him inside before someone sees us."

Climbing out of the car, Erin ran to the room and slipped the key into the lock, opening the door as Paul eased Steve out of the car and carefully pulled him to his feet. Placing Steve's uninjured arm around his shoulder, he wrapped his other arm around Steve's waist as he tried hard to ignore Steve's painfilled gasps and moans as he half carried, half dragged the injured man into the hotel room.

Closing the door behind them, Erin turned and helped Paul guide the young officer across to the bed. Steve cried out as his shoulder was jostled and Paul murmured a soft apology as he carefully sat Steve down on the side of the bed before easing him back against the pillows.

"He needs a doctor, Paul." Erin told her husband softly as she lightly grabbed Paul's arm and stared down at the semi-conscious man moaning quietly on the bed.

"I know." Paul nodded, swallowing hard as he stared down that the now wet and stained bandages, he had used to dress the burns and dark bruises that now marred the cop's legs and face. Biting his bottom lip for a moment in indecision, he suddenly turned back to Erin and instructed, "Try and get him to drink a couple of sips of water while I am gone."

"Why?"' Erin asked, frightened of being left alone as she clutched Paul's arm, stopping him as he turned and headed towards the door.

"The cops saw the car when we were getting away from the cabin and you can bet that Lennings wasn't alone when he was searching for our friend here," Paul nodded towards Steve before he looked back at his wife and continued, "The chances are Hendrix sent both Lennings and Garcia out to search for and then silence him if they found him."

Erin's face drained of all color as she stared up at Paul and fearfully whispered, "You don't think Garcia saw the car, do you?"

"I honestly don't know, and I don't want to take the chance that he did, or the cops managed to get a good description or even a good look at the number plate and now have an APB out on the car. That's why I want to get rid of it, so they can't trace it back to us." Paul answered softly as he gently cupped her face with his hand as he paused before he added softly, "Plus you are right, he needs a doctor, and he needs one now. So, I am going to get him one."

"How are you going to get him a doctor?' Erin asked, her forehead creasing with confusion.

Paul looked away, unable to look her in the eyes as he tried to ignore her question.

"Paul, answer me, how are you going to find him a doctor who won't ask any questions or tell the police where we are and what they saw?"

"I know someone," Paul answered evasively as he gently pulled his arm free of her grip.

"You know someone…" Erin parroted slowly before her eyes went wide in fear as she realized who her husband was talking about as she grabbed Paul's arm again to try and stop him, "No, Paul, not him. You don't know if you can trust him. What if he decides to tell Hendrix …"

"He won't, he owes me, Erin, and besides we don't really have a choice. You said it yourself," Nodding again at Steve, he reminded her, "He's needs a doctor to treat his burns and other injuries. We can't do it ourselves and we both know that we can't take him to a hospital, not without the cops or Hendrix finding out. And even if we did manage to drop him off at a hospital and get away ourselves, he would be a dead man before morning. Hendrix would make sure of it." Pulling his arm free, he lowered his voice as he brushed away a tear that rolled down her cheek, "I know it's risk, Sweetheart, but I promise, everything will be all right. You trust me, don't you?"

Swallowing hard, Erin nodded slowly.

"Good girl." Paul smiled as he lightly kissed her cheek, "I promise I will be back as fast as I can and after we get him some medical attention, the three of us will get out of the state and far, far away from Hendrix, the cops and everyone who knows us. Somewhere where we no longer have to look over our shoulders or hide." Kissing her cheek again, he whispered, "Now don't forget to lock the door after I leave and don't open it for anyone but me. Promise me."

"I promise." Erin whispered as she followed Paul to the door and held it open as he quickly glanced outside to ensure no one was around before stepping out.

Kissing her again, he murmured, "I won't be long, I promise. Just remember to try and get him to drink something and don't open the door to anyone, not even the manager."

"I will." Erin smiled weakly as Paul turned and hurried towards the car before she closed the door and turned the lock.


	10. Chapter 10

Parking his car in the shopping mall parking lot, Paul quickly grabbed the handkerchief from his pocket and quickly rubbed down as much as the car's interior surfaces as he could. It was a habit he had picked up while he and Erin were hiding. Satisfied he had removed as many fingerprints as he could, he quickly glanced around before he opened the door and climbed out, closing the car door behind him and wiping the door handle thoroughly with his handkerchief unconsciously before he turned and casually walked away.

Keeping pace with the other people walking around him, he walked several blocks south before he paused and looked around. He frowned as he searched for the small doctor's clinic he knew was located close by. A small smile of relief graced his lips, and he released the breath he had not even realized he had been holding as he saw the 'Doctor's Clinic' sign above one of the small shop fronts across the road. Glancing down at his watch, he knew he would have to wait a few more minutes before Glen's nurse/receptionist left for the night. He sighed as he turned and looked around before he turned and entered the small book shop behind him and began to pretend to peruse the books on the shelf closest to the window that looked across at the doctor's office across the street.

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Carefully looking down each side street, quickly scanning every parking lot and parked car he passed as he slowly entered Pacifica, Tony Garcia hit the steering wheel with his hand and loudly cursed in frustration. Somehow, in the moderate flow of traffic along the Cabrillo Highway heading south from San Francisco, he had managed to lose sight of the battered old blue Chevy. He wasn't sure just how far ahead of him they were or if they had turned off the highway somewhere between San Francisco and Pacifica and he had unknowingly driven right past them.

The curses turned into an annoyed, angry growl as he stopped at a red light and ran his hand over his face. He had no doubts that the boss knew by now, and if he didn't know already then it wouldn't be long before he was told that not only the cop, but also the traitor Lennings and his wife were still alive. And he harboured no doubts at all that if he didn't find Lennings, his wife and the cop soon and shut them all up permanently, the boss would take care of him, permanently, hopefully with a bullet in the head first, if he was lucky, before he was dumped overboard somewhere in the bay, wearing a heavy necklace made from the boat's anchor and chain around his neck.

Glancing in the rear vision mirror, he frowned as he noticed the Pacifica police car behind him. Easing his foot on the accelerator as the light turned green, he carefully coasted down the highway, as he tried to glance at the cars and down the streets he was passing without drawing too much attention from the police officers behind him.

Passing the shopping mall at the south end of the beach he had just passed, he smiled as he recognized the car in the parking lot that he had been searching for. His smile quickly faded as he glanced back into the rear vision mirror saw the officer in police car behind him point towards the blue Chevy before the police car suddenly turned sharply into the parking lot.

Quickly turning into the next entrance of the shopping mall, he parked a few car parks away from the blue Chevy and the police car now stopped behind it. Sliding down a little in his seat, he watched as one of the officers hopped out of the police car and wandered around the Chevy, looking into all the windows of the vehicle as his partner spoke on the police radio. The officer returned to the police car and climbed back in before the police car drove slowly away. Keeping his eye on the police car, Garcia was not surprised when it parked a few rows away, in a spot that Garcia knew would give the officers a clear view of the car.

His smile returned as he turned back and looked at the familiar, battered blue Chevy as he carefully reversed out of the parking spot and drove away from it and the watchful eyes of the two police officers who were now watching it. He knew that he was not that far behind Lennings, so if he had dumped the car here, it had to mean he was somewhere close by.

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Placing the book, he was holding, back onto the shelf, Paul glanced down at his watch before he looked back up at the doctor's office door and muttered, "Come on, hurry up, hurry up!" His desperate murmured demands were answered a few minutes later as the door opened, and he watched the receptionist leave for the night, closing the door behind. Glancing around to reassure himself no one was taking any notice of him, he quickly left the shop and crossed the street and pushed open the door, quickly slipping inside and closing the door firmly behind him.

Standing with his back to the door, the doctor jumped as he heard a voice that he never thought he would ever hear again softly say his name, "Glen?"

Quickly spinning around, the doctor's face drained of all color as he stared at the man standing near the door, uncertain if the man was real or he was seeing some sort of ghost. "Paul," he whispered uncertainly, "is it really you?"

"Yeah," Paul smiled weakly, "it's really me."

"Paul, what are you doing here?" the doctor gasped, still staring at Paul in disbelief, "I thought you were dead!"

"A lot of people thought that I was dead, including Hendrix, and that's the way I wanted it. I wanted to disappear and get away. I wanted me and Erin to go somewhere where no one knows us and start anew just like you did. So, I made everyone, including Hendrix, believe that Erin and I were dead. We were going to hide out until the coast was clear for us to get as far away from San Francisco, from Hendrix, from the whole damn mess I got us into as we could but this morning something happened that messed all our plans to get away up." Paul paused and swallowed hard as he took another tentative step towards the doctor as he begged, "Glen, I wouldn't have come here but there is no one else I can turn to, but I need your help not only as a doctor but also as a friend. Please…"

SOSF SOSF SOSF

"Okay Stone, these are the files we have on our dead man at the cabin, Damien Lennings," Wilkinson announced as he entered Mike's office without preamble as Lennox followed closely behind him and closed the door, shutting out the busy sounds from the bullpen as Mike looked up from the file he was reading. "I also brought across everything I have collected on Tony Garcia, Hendrix's top hitman and the man who we believe is responsible for the hit on Lomikoku and is now out there somewhere searching for your partner."

Making himself comfortable on the edge of Mike's desk, Wilkinson handed Mike one of the files, waiting for Mike to open it and look at the photo of the man who had been found shot in the back at the cabin just a couple of hours earlier. "We've had the little weasel in our sights for the last two years. He was twenty-five… no, twenty-six years old and comes from a well to do family back in Jersey. Been in and out of trouble most of his life. Has a juvie file thicker than a phone book for everything ranging from shoplifting and grand theft auto before graduating to assault and battery. He first came to our attention when he joined the Hendrix family about four years ago, at first as a runner before he managed to get himself on the fast track to being one of Hendrix's top tough guys who took care of collecting debts. In the last twelve months, we suspect he has moved even further up the ladder and has been assisting Tony Garcia, Hendrix's top hitman, in the murder of at least five men. Word is he was trying to become a made man."

Opening the much thicker file he still held in his hand, he passed it across the desk to Mike, waiting for Mike to study the photo of a large, broad-shouldered man who had a prominent scar that ran across his cheek down to his top lip, a souvenir from a deadly knife fight that the man had been the only one who had walked away alive from. "Tony Garcia," Wilkinson snarled, his lip curling up in disgust as he spat out the name. "Hendrix's top hitman. We believe that Garcia is responsible for hits on at least twenty guys. He's Hendrix's 'go to' guy when Hendrix needs someone to disappear permanently and have nothing left behind that can link the disappearance of the victim back to him. So far, we haven't been able to pin any of the hits on Garcia. It's like he is coated in Teflon, everything we manage to stick on him slides right off.

If Lennings was searching for your partner when he was killed, you can bet he was helping Garcia locate him. Which means that Garcia has been given the order to find your partner and make him disappear. Hendrix doesn't like leaving any witnesses behind, and that definitely includes cops who witness the murder of a material witness. And if Garcia is looking for your boy, you better start praying that we find Keller and whoever is trying to protect him before Garcia does. Which leaves us with two questions. Just who was in that cabin and killed Lennings? And why are they protecting your partner?"

"I may have the answer to that," Mike replied as he lifted the two files Wilkinson had given him to peruse and picked up the file he had been reading when the two FBI agents had entered his office. Passing the file to Wilkinson to read, he continued, "The lab guys found evidence in the form of men's and women's clothing that there was a couple living in the cabin. They were also able to pull two sets of prints on various items left behind. We managed to get a hit from one of the sets of prints…"

"Paul Mannings…" Wilkinson muttered in surprise as he stared at the photo in the file.

"Mannings, it can't be!" Neil murmured as he looked across at his partner and frowned, "There's gotta be some mistake, Tom, the lab guys here must have got it wrong."

Mike glanced at the two men, sensing there was something they knew, and he didn't. Looking back at Wilkinson, he asked, "Do you know him?"

"Paul Mannings was suspected of being Hendrix's top bookkeeper," Wilkinson answered softly as he continued to stare, obviously shocked, at the photo.

"Was?" Mike frowned.

Looking back up at the Homicide Lieutenant, Wilkinson nodded as he began to explain, "Mannings was suspected of being Hendrix's top bookkeeper. He was rumoured to be in charge of making sure the payments to anyone on Hendrix's payroll were paid, keeping an eye on all the money that came in and making sure every cent was laundered clean. And he was the only one, other than Hendrix, who had a complete record of the Hendrix's Mob family's financial transactions as well as a list of everyone, including cops, judges and even important politicians, who were on Hendrix's payroll." Wilkinson looked back down at the photo of the young man as he continued, "About twelve months ago, we heard a whisper that Mannings and Hendrix had some sort of falling out. We don't know what over, but word was Mannings was thinking of coming forward and spilling everything he knew of Hendrix's business dealings. He was ready to spill his guts about all of Hendrix's business dealings, including names and payments if we would give him immunity and a new identity."

"And?" Mike asked, already suspicious that he already knew the answer to his question.

"A meeting was set up between Mannings and Tom." Lennox interrupted, "But Mannings never showed…" Lennox trailed off, glancing uncomfortably at his partner who had turned and glared at him.

"Any idea why not?" Mike asked cautiously, looking across his desk at Lennox, who was standing next to the door looking like he wanted the earth to open up and swallow him, before Mike looked back expectantly at Wilkinson for the answer.

Tom Wilkinson looked back down at the photo of the man he had been told from several very reliable sources was dead, as his hands tightened on the folder, bending the manila folder that held the paperwork within. "We heard later that Hendrix had been tipped off by someone in the bureau, so he had Mannings and his wife shut up permanently before Mannings could come to the meet."

A quick rap on his office door prevented Mike from asking any more questions, as the door opened, and Bill rushed in, "Mike, we got a break on the APB I put out with the partial plates of the blue Chevy I saw speeding away from the cabin. Pacifica PD just found it parked in a shopping mall car park just south of Pacifica Beach." Jumping up from his seat, Mike turned and snagged his coat and hat as Bill continued, "I told them to keep an eye on it but not to approach until we get there."

Turning back to Wilkinson and Lennox, Mike asked, "Coming?"

"We will follow you in a couple of minutes." Wilkinson answered, "I have a couple of things I need to wrap up here first."

Mike nodded as he turned and ran out of the office with Bill following closely behind.

Frowning as he watched Bill and Mike race out of the bullpen, Neil turned back and frowned at his partner in confusion as Wilkinson walked around Mike's desk and made himself comfortable on Mike's chair, "Why aren't we going with them?"

"I have a couple of calls I have to make first," Wilkinson answered as he reached for the phone and began to dial a familiar number before he looked back up at his younger partner and ordered, "Why don't you head down to the lab and double check with them about those fingerprints and I'll meet you in the car as soon as I am finished here."

"Okay, Tom," Lennox answered slowly as he turned and headed out of the office.

"And close the door behind you." Wilkinson ordered before adding softly, "I don't want any of those flatfoots out there overhearing my call."


	11. Chapter 11

Slamming the handset down, Leon Hendrix snatched up the phone and threw it with all his might against the far wall where it shattered, leaving a hole in the wall before fell with a loud crash onto the Italian marbled tiled floor.

“Boss is everything alright?” Nicky asked breathlessly as he rushed into the room and quickly scanned the room, searching for any potential trouble and for what had made the crashing noise he had heard, only moments before, coming his boss’s office. Spotting the newly made hole in the wall, his eyes drifted down to the shattered phone laying on the floor before he turned and looked at his boss’s face that was flushed red with anger, “What’s happened?”

“What’s happened?” Hendrix growled softly as he rounded the desk, “What happened?” he growled more loudly, his hands curling up into tight fists as he stepped closer to Nicky. “I will tell you what happened.” Nicky took a small unconscious step backwards and swallowed hard as his boss took another step closer, his face growing redder with rage as he hissed with a dangerous edge to the tone of his voice that made Nicky shiver with fear, “Garcia screwed up the hit on Lomikoku, and Stone’s damn partner, Keller, somehow managed to get away. And if that’s not bad enough that there’s a damn cop out there who can get up in court and testify about the hit if we don’t get to him first and shut him up permanently, it seems that Keller’s miraculous escape from a burning car was made with the assistance of a dead man.”

“A…a dead man, Boss?” the younger man asked cautiously, frowning in confusion as he tried to follow what his boss was telling him.

“Yes, that’s what I said! A God damn dead man! Paul fuckin’ Mannings!” Hendrix spat out Manning's name angrily as he continued to rant, “Only my contact at the FBI says that Mannings and his wife are very much alive and on the run after killing Lennings when he discovered them and the cop at some cabin near where the Lomikoku hit happened.”

“Damien’s dead?” Nicky asked, shocked that a weedy looking bookkeeper like Mannings had gotten the drop on someone like Lennings, “What about Tony? I mean if Lennings bought it…”

“I don’t know what happened to Garcia but when I catch up with him, he’s going to be fish food!” Hendrix promised, and by the look hateful look in his boss’s eyes, Nicky knew it was a promise that the Mafia boss intended to keep, no matter what excuses or explanations Garcia offered for Mannings still being alive. Hell, Mannings was not only still alive after Garcia had supposedly fulfilled the contract the boss had taken out on the him but now on the run with a cop who had eye-witnessed the hit on Lomikoku. He nodded, uncertain of what to say or if he should even speak as his boss continued, “But what I do know is Mannings and that bitch of his wife are on the run and they have taken the God damn injured cop with them. My FBI guy says the car that Mannings, his whore of a wife and Stone's boy were seen fleeing in from the cabin was just found by the cops in Pacifica."

"Pacifica?" Nicky's frowned deepened, "Ain't much there but a shopping centre, a few shops and hotels and the beach."

"I don't care if it’s a one-horse town or as big as New York City." Hendrix growled, his eyes flashing with anger, "I want you and some of the boys to get down to Pacifica and find them. And I want them found before Stone finds them and I expect you to shut their traps shut permanently, and this time, I don’t want any of them getting away. Got it?”

“As good as done, Boss!” Nicky nodded before he turned and hurried towards the door.

“It better be!” Hendrix warned. Leaving Nicky with no doubts of what would happen if he failed.

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Tony Garcia could not believe his luck as Paul Mannings stepped out of the bookshop and hurried across the road just in front of him as he turned into the small side street. Driving slowly past Mannings, he turned and watched the younger man hesitated for a heartbeat just outside the doctor surgery door before he pushed the door open and disappeared inside as the door closed behind him.

Driving a little further down the street, Tony pulled in front of a parked car and turned off the car’s engine. Smiling, he carefully adjusted the rear vision mirror, enabling him to watch anyone coming or leaving the surgery as he slid lower down in his seat. Switching on the radio, he tapped his fingers in time with the music and hummed along with the latest pop songs as he patiently watched and waited for Mannings to re-emerge.

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Carefully dabbing on some burn ointment onto Paul’s blistered hand, the doctor cocked his head and frowned as he finished listening to Paul’s story about how Paul and Erin had escaped from Hendrix’s mob by faking their deaths in a boating accident in the bay before hiding out in an old abandoned log cabin, somewhere north of the city. “Well, you really had me fooled. I really thought that Garcia had carried out the hit that Hendrix put out on you.”

“That’s what I was banking on that everyone would think, even Hendrix.” Paul grimaced as Glen carefully covered placed a large non-stick dressing over his burns. Momentarily gritting his teeth against the pain as Glen began to wrap a large white bandage around his hand, he took a deep breath before he went on, “I knew that Garcia would never admit to Hendrix that he hadn’t carried out the job. So, after I blew up the boat, I made sure there was just enough evidence left floating on the tide for the police and Hendrix to believe that both Erin and I had gone to the bottom of the bay with the boat or had been swept out to sea.”

“And that’s when you and Erin disappeared.” Glen shook his head in amazement as he reached for the tape and tore of a small strip to secure the bandage wrapped around Paul’s hand.

“Yeah,” Paul nodded as Glen cleared away the used dressing tray as he continued to talk attempting to take his mind of the throbbing pain in his hand, “We’ve been hiding out in the cabin, waiting for the heat to die down and for Hendrix to forget about me so we could get away and start again with new identities that I have already set up for us on the east coast. We were almost ready to move on until today…”

“I don’t understand, just what happened today, Paul? How did you get those burns and why do you need my help so desperately? I know you didn’t need my help just to treat your hand, I’ve seen you treat worse injuries than that, yourself, so tell me just what the hell is going on and what the hell are you trying to drag me into!” Glen demanded softly as he turned back to face Paul.

“You’re right, Glen, I didn’t come here just to get you to treat my burns.” Paul said softly as he watched the other man’s reactions closely as he continued, “There’s a cop, Glen, A cop who I rescued after he got caught up in a hit that on Lomikoku.”

“Lomikoku’s dead?” Glen’s face grew pale.

“Yeah,” Paul nodded, “Garcia took him out on a dirt road near the cabin.”

“How?” the doctor whispered.

“Broadsided the car that the cop and Lomikoku was in and then shot Lomikoku in the chest when he tried to escape.” Paul answered succinctly as he glanced down at his watch, worried about how much time this was taking. 

“But why?”

“Probably for the same reason why Hendrix put hits out on both you and me, Glen. Lomikoku was probably going to turn State’s evidence, probably in exchange for immunity and a new identity. But that’s not important now!” Sighing with frustration and worry, Paul looked up at his friend and growled, “Damn it, Glen, I don’t have time to get into this now! You owe me and now I am calling in the favour! Not for me but for the cop, he’s gunna die if he doesn’t get some medical help soon.”

Biting his bottom lip, Glen stared at Paul indecisively. He knew that by now Hendrix would know the cop was alive and he had no doubts that he would have Garcia out hunting for him and for anyone who was helping him. But he couldn’t deny that Paul was right, he did owe him, big time! Paul had saved his life and set him up with money Paul had skimmed off Hendrix’s books to set him up with a new identity, complete with a license so he could continue practicing medicine under his new name. He wasn’t sure just how Paul had managed to pull it off and Paul never told him.

Running his hand through his hair again, Paul swallowed hard and his shoulders slumped as he softly admitted, “And there’s no one else who I can trust or even to go to.”

“Okay, okay, I will help you, but this had better wipe my debt,” Glen sighed as he reached for his medical bag and looked across at Paul as he asked, “So, just how badly is this cop hurt?”

“Thanks Glen,” Paul smiled with relief before he began to answer Glen’s questions as Glen collected the medical equipment, dressings, and medications that he thought he would need and placed them into the bag.

SOSF SOSF SOSF

The green BMW sedan in the rear vision mirror caught Garcia’s attention and he slid a little lower in his seat as it pulled out of the laneway beside the doctor’s surgery and drove past him. Mannings was sitting low in the BMW’s passenger seat and shook his head as he recognized the good doctor who was driving. He smiled as he started the engine and waited until a couple of cars had drove past him before he pulled out into the traffic and began to follow them, confident that they would lead him straight back to the cop. His smile turned into a wolfish grin as the BMW’s indicator flashed several times, a few minutes later, before the large car turned into the Seaview Motel parking lot.

Easing the car to a gentle stop against the curb, he watched as the two men got out of the car. The doctor carrying what he though was the doctor’s black medical bag as they hurried across to one of the rooms and went inside, closing the door behind them. Removing his gun from his holster, he quickly opened the barrel, double checking that the gun was fully loaded before flicking the barrel close again.

Opening his car door, he climbed out, hiding the gun in his hand under his jacket, as he quickly walked across the footpath, stepping over the small, long neglected garden, before hurrying across the parking lot to the room where he had seen Mannings and the doctor enter. Taking another quick glance around to ensure that no one was watching, he removed his gun from beneath his coat and reached for the door handle before opening the door and stepping inside.


	12. Chapter 12

“Hey, Nicky, ya better look alive! Looks like the two Homicide officers from San Francisco are here.” Dennis Griffen gave his partner, who was dozing beside him, a quick hard nudge in the ribs with his elbow as he tilted his head in the direction of the tan-colored Ford Galaxie that was turning into the parking lot.

“About time,” Nicky mumbled as he sat up a little higher and rubbed his face over his hand, attempting to wake himself up a little more as the car pull into the parking space close to the blue Chevy that they were watching. Opening his car door, he climbed out and joined his partner as the the two men in the Galaxie got out their car and walked across to their patrol car.

“Lieutenant Stone?” Dennis asked as the two men reached him.

The older man nodded and pulled out his police ID before flicking it open and showing the two Pacifica officers his badge as he introduced himself, “I’m Mike Stone, SFPD Homicide, and this is Inspector Bill Tanner.”

Dennis gave a cursory glance at the Lieutenant’s ID before he introduced himself, “My name’s Dennis - Dennis Griffen, and this is my partner, Nicky Simons. The sarge told us that you were on your way and that we are to assist you with your investigation anyway that we can.”

Mike nodded as he began to walk towards the blue Chevy as he asked over his shoulder, “Has anyone been near the car since you located it?”

“No, Sir,” Nicky shook his head as he followed the two Homicide officers across to the car. “And no one in the mall has seen either of the two suspects fitting the descriptions of the APBs you put out.”

Bill and the two PPD officers watched as Mike nodded distractedly and pulled his handkerchief from out of his pocket, using it to prevent leaving any fingerprints as opening the unlocked car door and leaned inside. Quickly scanning the interior of the car before checking the glove box, Mike searched for anything that might help him find Steve, but the interior of the car was spotless, probably wiped clean by Mannings. Mike sighed as he straightened back up, slamming the door closed before he looked around.

“Maybe Mannings knew the car was hot, so he ditched it here and grabbed another.” Bill suggested softly, looking around the parking lot.

“Or maybe he’s decided to try and find somewhere where he can lay low with Steve and his wife until it gets dark before he tries to get away.” Mike frowned as he turned back to look at Bill.

“If your guy is looking for somewhere to lay low, then chances are he’s probably hiding out at the Seaview.” Dennis suggested, glancing across at his partner who nodded his agreement, as Bill and Mike turned and looked at him as he rushed to explain, “The Seaview is an old run-down motel at the beach end of Rockaway Beach Avenue. Marty, the owner, has been known to accept cash under the table in exchange for not asking any questions or asking for ID, to anyone wanting a room and who doesn’t want to answer any questions, if you know what I mean?”

Mike nodded as Nicky chimed in, “Plus it’s kind of out of the way, doesn’t attract many tourists these days, and can’t be seen from the highway. It’s where I would go if I didn’t want anyone finding me.” Shrugging his shoulders, he added, “And it’s not too far from here. Close enough to walk to after he dumped the car. If you want, Lieutenant, we can radio for another officer to watch the car and take you to the Seaview.”

“So, what do you think, Mike?” Bill asked, turning to look at Mike, aware that the chances of Mannings returning to the car were slim.

“I think we should go and have a chat with Marty at the Seaview Motel and find out if any tourists have paid cash today to stay in one of his rooms.” Mike answered.

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Leaning back against the door with his gun aimed at the three people huddled around the injured cop on the bed, Garcia said softly, “Well, well, well, look at what I just found, three little rats huddled around some undercooked bacon.” He watched in amusement as Erin, Paul and Glen jumped in surprise at the sound of his voice and spun around to face him.

“Garcia!” Erin gasped, fearfully as she stared at the deadly hitman.

“In the flesh,” Tony’s grin grew wider as he reached behind him and locked the door, his gun never wavering from its deadly aim. He took a step towards them as he turned his attention to Paul, “You should know, Manning, that when you are trying to hide from someone, especially a professional hitman, say someone like me, there are a few basic rules you should follow, like rule number one -Never get involved in a hit on another person. Or better yet, rule number two, if you do, never get spotted in getting away, especially when you’re trying to be a superhero and rescue a cop while you pretending to be a dead man, I’m afraid that’s a dead give-away that you’re not really dead and that you’re running. It made my job so much easier, all I had to do was sit back and follow you, your dead wife and the cop until you felt safe enough to stop.” His eyes flickered over Erin and Steve before they rested on Glen for a heartbeat, he chuckled and shook his head, “But who would have guessed that you would also lead me straight back to another dead man.”

Taking another step forward, Garcia continued softly, a dangerous edge to his voice as his grin disappeared and he stared balefully at Paul, “You know you really had me fooled with the boat explosion. I was so sure you were dead that I took full credit for blowing you and your wife up. I even told the boss that I had fulfilled the contract. But it’s just my luck that like the Phoenix, you just had to rise from the ashes of your destroyed boat to ruin another of my hits and save a damn stinking cop who the boss ordered to die alongside Lomokoku! And if that wasn’t bad enough that the boss wasn’t happy the cop got away and you can bet that he knows by now that you’re alive as well, which means that I am probably a dead man. All because of you!”

Swallowing hard as he heard Erin whimper behind him and grab his arm, Paul gently shrugged out of the light frightened hold she had on his arm. He took a small step forward, holding his hands out in front of him attempt to show the deadly hitman that he was not a threat as he said quietly, “You don’t have to be a dead man, Tony, you can get away from Hendrix. And I can help you do that. I can set you up with a new identity and enough money for you to get far away from here, from everyone connected with the family and start a new life, where nobody knows you or will ask questions about your past. You can disappear, just like we did.”

“And just how’s that working out for you?” Garcia asked coldly, a sneer on his face as he added, “Because all I can see that it got you, your wife and your buddies caught in a run down, rat infested motel room by the hitman who was contracted to kill the four of you, and you bleeding out with a bullet in your gut on the floor!”

Erin screamed hysterically as Garcia pulled the trigger and Paul fell to the ground, clutching his stomach as blood began to trickle out from between his fingers.


	13. Chapter 13

Marty Lewis looked up from the girly magazine he was ogling as the door opened and two uniformed Pacifica officers entered the small reception area, followed by two other men. Bending down the corner of the page that featured the two-page spread of a very beautiful and very naked Miss July, he reluctantly closed the magazine before he sat up a little straighter and placed the well-worn and slightly tattered magazine carefully down on the counter in front of him. Looking up at the two officers, he smiled, “Why, Officer Griffen, Officer Simons, fancy seeing the two of you here this afternoon.” Casting a quick look at Mike and Bill as they joined the two Pacifica uniformed officers at the counter before he returned his attention back to the senior uniformed officer, he added sarcastically, “I gather that you and your two fancy dressed friends aren’t here for just a social visit, so just what can I do for you two _fine_ officers of our local Pacifica police department?”

“Can the wise-guy attitude, Marty!” Dennis growled softly, before nodding in the direction of the two San Francisco Homicide officers as Mike and Bill pulled out their badges and flashed them at the motel owner as Dennis introduced them, “This is Lieutenant Stone and Inspector Tanner, they’re both from San Francisco Homicide and they want to know about anyone who you might have booked a room out to today.” Leaning over the counter so he was looking down at the unkept looking motel owner, he added softly, “And I’m not talking about any legitimate tourist who was foolish enough to believe the hype on the billboards on the way into town that claims this place is a little piece of Pacifica heaven overlooking the ocean but the type of person who would rather pay cash for no questions asked and no ID.”

“Hey, Griffen, I run a legitimate business!” Marty began to protest.

“Legitimate, hey?” Dennis snorted, “So, shall we go door to door and do a check for working girls and their johns doing business in your rooms, or are you going to tell these two officers everything they want to know about the man who booked a room today by paying cash under the table?”

“Hey, you can’t do that without a warrant!” Marty gasped, standing up, fear in his eyes as he realized that another raid where vice found working girls plying their trade in his motel again would end up with the motel being closed down permanently.

“Want to find out whether we can or not?” Mike asked softly before tilting his head in the direction of the young Pacifica police officer as he lied, “Because if he can’t do it, I sure can!”

Turning his head to look at the San Francisco lieutenant, Marty’s face grew pale as he saw the no-nonsense, determined look on Mike’s face and he decided instantly that the man was not bluffing. “Okay, okay, so I took some money under the table from a man who wanted a room for a couple of days, and he was willing to pay a little bit extra if I asked for no ID and there was no questions asked.”

Pulling out a folded piece of paper that he had photocopied earlier at Bryant Street with Paul Manning’s photo on it, Mike placed it on the counter and carefully smoothed it out as he asked motel owner, “Is this the man who paid for the room?”

Staring at the grainy photo for a moment, Marty looked up at Mike and nodded, “Yeah, yeah, that’s him. What has he done?”

“Was there anyone with him?” Mike asked, ignoring his question.

“Yeah, yeah, there was,” Marty nodded, “I remember seeing a nice-looking dame sitting in the back of his car.” He chuckled. She looked nervous, kept looking around and looking back towards the door waiting for him to go back out to her. I figured that he was planning to spend a few days with her and didn’t want his wife or husband to know.”

“Did you see anyone else in the car with the woman?” Bill asked.

“Na, it was just the two of them.” Marty answered, as he turned to look at Bill.

“What room?”

“What?” Marty blinked.

“What room are they in?” Mike demanded again, impatiently.

“Umm, room eight, just down the end of the building.”

“Keys!” Mike demanded, holding out his hand expectantly.

“What?” Marty frowned in confusion.

“He wants you to give us the keys to room eight!” Dennis growled.

“Ohh,” Marty said as he turned and grabbed the spare set of keys from the keyboard behind him before he turned back and handed them to Mike before adding, “I don’t think they will do you any good though. I don’t think anyone is there. Their car’s gone.”

“Well, I guess we will have to just go and see, won’t we.” Mike told Marty, taking the keys from him before he turned and started to head towards the door with Bill and the two uniformed officers following him.

Rising from his chair, Marty started to follow but froze as he reached the door and heard a woman screaming somewhere from the direction of the room at the end of the building. “What the hell is that?” he gasped is surprise as he watched wide eyed as Mike turned and ordered him to stay where he was before the four police officers drew their guns and started to run in the direction of the room.


	14. Chapter 14

“Shut up, you stupid bitch,” Garcia growled as he turned the gun towards her and warned, “Or you’ll be-”

Everyone froze as they heard loud rapping on the motel door and someone call out, “Police, open up!”

Casting a quick glance towards the door, Garcia’s finger tightened on the trigger as he leaned down and grabbed Erin by the arm, roughly yanking her up onto her feet, before pushing her towards the doctor as he ordered softly, “Get rid of them! And don’t even think of trying anything stupid like tipping them off because if you do…” Placing the barrel of his gun against Steve’s head, he ignored the young cop as Steve’s eyes slowly opened at the sensation as he threatened softly, “He’ll be first and you’ll both be next!”

“Okay, okay, take it easy, we’ll get rid of them!” Glenn whispered softly. Gently grabbing Erin by the elbow, Glenn murmured to the frightened woman, “Hey, hey, hey, everything’s going to be alright, I promise. Just let me do all the talking. Can you do that?”

Erin swallowed down a sob and nodded.

“Good girl!” Glenn smiled as he removed his tie, dropping it to the floor before unbuttoning his shirt and unbuckling his belt so it hung open and unbuttoning his pants’ button as he led Erin towards the door

Swallowing hard as she realized what Glenn was doing, Erin, unbuttoned the first few buttons of her own top, allowing the edge of the cup of her bra to be visible and ran a shaking hand through her hair, dishevelling it as they reached the door.

“Ready?” Glenn asked as he wrapped one arm around her protectively and reached for the door handle.

Erin nodded again, wiping away the tears with her hand as she forced a small smile, “Ready.” She whispered weakly, taking a deep breath as Glenn opened the door.

“Officer Griffen, Officer Simons.” The doctor looked suitably shocked and surprised as he opened the door just wide enough to be seen and greeted the two armed police officers standing there. Eyeing the three men standing behind them, he instantly recognized the hotel manager and suspected the other two men who were also holding guns were also some sort of cops, after working for Hendrix, he could spot a cop a mile away, even when they were in plain clothes. Cops, any cop, possessed a certain demeanor about them that screamed ‘COP’. Returning his attention back to the two uniformed officers as all four officers reholstered their guns, he asked innocently, “Is there something wrong?”

“Doc Erwin!” Dennis eyes went wide with surprise at the unexpected sight of the town’s most beloved doctor opening the door, “Umm, sorry about the intrusion … but we thought we heard a woman’s scream coming from this room.”

Glenn managed to blush as he momentarily dropped his head before he looked back up at the two Pacifica officers in feigned embarrassment, “Umm… you …umm…did.” Allowing the door to open just a fraction wider as he pulled Erin a little closer, to allow the officers to see their dishevelled clothing while trying to block their view into the room. “I’m… um…I’m sorry about that…This is Karen…I…I haven’t seen her for a couple of years…and she just got into town. I…ahhh ... I guess that our…reunion got… umm…a little noisier than we meant it to be.”

Eyeing the woman who looked like she had been crying, Dennis asked, “Are you okay, Miss?”

Erin smiled weakly as she snuggled closer to Glenn, accidentally giving Mike and Bill a momentary chance to see into the room behind, her and nodded, “Yeah, everything’s fine, officer. I guess I got a little loud. I’m sorry. I’ll try and keep it down. It won’t happen again.”

Dennis nodded as he eyed the doctor again, “Well Doc, if you say that everything’s okay. I guess we will leave you in peace. But please keep the noise down.”

Glenn forced another smile, relieved, “We will, and I am so sorry for the disturbance.”

Dennis nodded and turned away, leading his partner, Mike, Bill and Marty back towards the manager’s office as Glenn closed the door shut behind them.

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Resisting the urge to look back at the now closed motel door as they walked back towards the hotel’s reception office, Bill glanced across at Mike as he asked, “Did you see the reflection in the mirror?”

“Tony Garcia. And the woman fitted the description of Manning’s wife.” Mike answered softly as they reached the hotel reception office and he opened the door, allowing the manager to enter the office before them.

“Yeah, but that was definitely not your suspect who opened the door,” Dennis frowned, pausing in the doorway as he watched Marty cross the room to the reception desk. Waiting until his partner, Mike and Bill entered the small office, he turned back to face them as he lowered his voice so Marty would not be able to eavesdrop into their conversation, “That was Doc Erwin, the town’s only doc. I don’t know what he’s doing in that room, but what I do know is that cockamamie story he just told us is a lie. There’s no way he would be spending the afternoon, fooling around with some strange woman who has just got into town, especially a married one.”

“It sounds like you know the doc well.” Bill said, glancing at Mike whose attention was fully focused on the senior uniformed officer.

Dennis shrugged as he looked at Bill, “Pacifica’s a small town, Inspector, working patrol you get to know all the locals, especially locals like the doc.” Looking back at Mike, he continued, “I don’t know what the doc is doing in that room, Lieutenant, but I do know that he just lied to us.”

“Maybe he has a reason to lie.” Mike told the officer.

“What are you thinking, Mike?” Bill asked softly.

“We know that Steve is injured and that when Mannings and his wife fled the cabin, they took Steve with them. After taking the risk to save Steve from the car and then taking him when they fled the cabin.”

Bill nodded.

Glancing across at the hotel manager who was trying hard to look busy tidying up as he edged closer towards them, so obviously trying to eavesdrop into their conversation, Mike lowered his voice, “The manager saw Mannings’ wife sitting in the back of the car-”

“Maybe she was trying to keep Steve out of sight,” Bill breathed as he followed Mike’s train of thought as he added, “And when the manager noticed their car gone, maybe it was gone because Mannings went to see if he could find a doctor-”

“That could explain why the doc is in the room.” Dennis murmured, scowling at Marty as the manager, pretending to be dusting, moved closer. Nodding towards the manager’s desk, the Pacifica officer growled, “Don’t you have some more ogling of Miss July to do, Marty?”

Marty jumped and blushed at being caught up before he muttered, “Jesus, Griffen, can’t a guy do a bit of cleaning!”

“The only cleaning you have ever done in this joint is when you have misplaced your playboy magazine and then shoving stuff out of the way or onto the floor when you are looking for it doesn’t really count as cleaning. So, sit down and shut up.” Dennis ordered, staring at the manager until the manager slunk guiltily back to his desk and slumped back down, sullenly, on his chair. Turning back to Mike and Bill, Dennis added, “That would explain why the doc is in that room. Doc’s the type of guy who would help anyone who needed it.”

“And if Garcia saw Mannings at the cabin and managed to follow him here to Pacifica, he might have seen him when he went looking for the doctor and followed him back to the motel.” Bill concluded softly as Mike nodded.

Looking back towards the reception office door, Ricky removed his hat and rubbed his fingers nervously over his head before he looked back at the two San Francisco Homicide officers as he asked Mike, almost cautiously, “So, are you thinking that we may have a hostage situation in that room, Sir?”

“I’m afraid so, Son.” Mike told him before looking across at Marty and asking, “Is there anyone in the room next to room 8?”

Jumping in surprise at suddenly being included in the cops’ conversation, Marty looked up and shook his head, “Na, rooms 6 and 7’s empty. In fact, all the other rooms are empty.” Looking at Dennis, he added, challengingly, “February is our quiet time of the year.”

Biting the tip of his tongue, Denis decided to ignore Marty’s outright lie about February being the motel’s quiet month as Bill asked, “So how do you want to handle this, Mike?”

“We’re going to leave like we didn’t notice that anything was amiss.” Mike told him before adding, “Garcia is a trained assassin, he’s going to be watching to see if we leave. And with four lives on the line in that room, I don’t want to tip him off that we know that he’s there.”

Glancing across at Marty, aware that if Marty thought that he could make a dime by tipping the hitman off after they left, he would in a heartbeat, Hell, the little weasel would sell his grandmother for a buck, Dennis looked back at Mike and asked, “What about him? He’ll tip your guy off in a heartbeat as soon as we leave.”

Mike paused as he looked at the hotel manager before he ordered, “Bring him. Let’s go.”

SOSF SOSF SOSF

Using the gun as his pointer, Garcia silently ordered Glen and Erin to move back to the side of the bed. Training his gun on them, he waited until they reached the side of the bed before he quickly edged his way across to the window and gently lifted the curtain just enough to watch the cops follow the manager into the office. Glancing back at his captives, he watched as the doctor softly ordered Mannings’ wife to begin applying pressure again to Mannings’ gunshot wound while he quickly began to check the cop. He shook his head, wondering why the doctor even bothered, the doctor had to know that there was no way that any of them were going to get out the room alive.

Turning back to look out of the window, he held his breath, his finger tightening on the trigger as he watched the office door open and the cops emerged, one of them leading the manager by the arm as they led him across to the cop car. Garcia relaxed and released the breath he was holding as he watched as the manager was placed in the back seat of the patrol car before Stone and his inspector slid in one either side of him and closed the car’s back doors as the two uniformed Pacifica officers climbed in the front. A small smile tugged at his lips as he watched the police car pull away from the front of the hotel’s reception room before coasting down the driveway and turning out onto the road.

Turning back towards his captives, he grinned as he asked, “Now just where were we before we were so rudely interrupted.” Slowly walking closer towards the bed, he pointed the gun down at Mannings, moving it slightly to aim at Erin who flinched as she looked up at him with fear in her eyes before he lifted the barrel a little, leaving it aimed at the doctor’s chest for several heartbeats before he pointed it at the cop’s head. Turning the gun back onto Erin, he smiled coldly as he saw the naked fear in her eyes as he nodded, “Ohh, that’s right, I remember now! You’re the reason why the cops came to the room. I did warn you what would happen, didn’t I?” He announced coldly as he pulled the trigger, killing her instantly.


End file.
